Clashing Worlds
by Reigning Fyre
Summary: The world of Ninja and Benders collide brutally as the Avatar and the ninja try to understand each other and get through what will probably be the most destructive force either groups have ever seen. YaoiYuriHet Included. Crossover of NarutoAvatar
1. Chapter 1

You guys ready for this? This is the next big story I'm working on and it will be my baby like Mist was. Get ready for it, because this is Avatar crossed with Naruto. Yeup, I'm amazing… LA.

* * *

**_Clashing Worlds_**

_Chapter One  
_

* * *

"Aang, I don't think," Katara started but flinched towards him as she finished the sentence. There was a loud buzzing started to resonate through the trees. "I don't think this is such a good idea…" she whispered, looking around in suspicion. 

"Relax Katara! If anything was here that would hurt us, my instincts would let us know!" Sokka proudly crowed with a puffed chest and an ego the size of the Fire Nation.

"Yeah, says the boy who's 'instincts' got us led straight into a bog of man-eating insects." Toph scorned with a look.

"Shut up! I meant to do that so you could, uh, show off!" Sokka covered for himself, albeit a bit poorly.

"Whatever pin-head." She replied with a flick of her wrist.

Huffing angrily, Sokka made a point of stomping away from her as he tried to figure out where they were. Earlier that week the group had looked at a map of the Earth Nation in hopes of finding a quiet area to train for the summer before the comet arrived that was supposed to bring all doom on Earth. They had just wanted to find a reclusive area with almost no people so that Aang could find out if he could control that Avatar State, Toph could start working with bigger areas of Earth, Katara could try with large amounts of Water, and Sokka just wanted to train. Although, he had felt left out with all the bending, so his new goal was that of learning a new fighting style. One better and less Sokka-ish.

"Quiet you two, I think I heard something." Katara hushed her older brother.

"Katara, you're just being paranoid! Who would be out here, this deep in the fore-" before Sokka could finish his remark, he was struck and he fell; fully unconscious.

"SOKKA!" Katara screamed out but before she could move, she was struck.

Toph took her fighting position, steadying herself upon the ground, but was cut short as she too was struck out. "Guys!?" Aang started but the Avatar lastly was given a blow to the head and then saw blackness. Before everything went dark, he saw a bright white bird mask.

"Birdie?" He mumbled before succumbing to the darkness clouding his vision.

* * *

"Uuggh…." Sokka groaned as he opened his eyes. If felt like his entire head was on fire and then dunked into hot stew. Not a pleasant feeling at all. 

"Where am I?" Sokka muttered to himself and looked about his new area.

He seemed to be in some sort of hospital because there were curtains and one other bed near him with the white intensity that hospitals and clinics are famous for. Trying to sit up, he immediately felt his body reject the movement and he was overcome with pain and vertigo.

"That wasn't a good idea." He hissed through clenched teeth and tried to peer out at the door through watery, squinted eyes.

"Oh! You're awake!" A female voice pierced through him, letting Sokka know that there was indeed someone else in the room.

"Yes, I am." Sokka agreed as he opened his eyes to look at who ever just announced themselves.

He was greeted with a huge head of bright pink hair and a red dress of sorts. She was wearing a strange metal and cloth head band as well. Her entire demeanor spoke of well controlled muscle and held back intensity.

"Who…Who are you?" Sokka was taken aback as he looked at the stranger in front of him. What natural person had pink hair? It was almost disturbing.

"I'm Sakura. I'll be your medi-nin while you're here okay? I just want to apologize for the ANBU that attacked you. They thought you were Sound but as we all now know, you're not." Sokka stared wide eyed at her. She had just said a lot of things that made no sense to the poor boy.

"Excuse me, you'll be my what? And who attacked us, thinking we were who?" Sokka could feel the monstrous headache of his start to get even bigger.

"Uhm, you're probably still confused from that blow to the head. I'll let you rest while I go check up on your friends alright? Remember! Don't move!" The 'Sakura' person said cheerfully and all but skipped out of the room.

Sokka went flax against the bed as he tried to ingest everything the young woman had said. 'I must've been hallucinating. She can't have been real!' As we all know, Sokka was about to find out how real pink haired young women named Sakura can be.

* * *

Sakura left the room with the strangely dressed stranger and frowned as she continued a much steadier pace down the hallway. He didn't seem to have any idea what she was talking about which meant he could have more serious brain damage. ANBU were supposed to inflict such injuries, but things could go very wrong if they had accidentally caught a group of normal villagers. No matter what land they were from, it could bode badly. 

What was odd was that they were so deep in the Konoha forest. Only nin of a fairly high degree could get past all the dangers, thus the ANBU's thinking for them to be Sound nin. They hadn't even been armed with the simplest of kunai. Instead, one of them had a crude clubbing tool, and other just miscellaneous items. The bald one had a sort of glider that had accidentally been attacked and cut a bit when a member of the ANBU opened it by dropping it from a tree. It was the strangest predicament. One of the girls, the smaller one with black hair, resembled nobility from the way she was dressed but the rest seemed so out of place in the forest. No sunscreen, no bug spray, nothing.

Sakura sighed, this mystery had nothing to do with her, but that of the village elders. Although, she was still puzzled by it. She would talk to her friend Ino later about the whole thing. Shaking her head, she headed into the next room to talk to a poison victim.

* * *

Wincing, Sokka stood on wobbly legs. His head still hurt and he knew he wasn't supposed to get up but nothing seemed right! He had to explore, find Katara, Aang, and Toph! What if this was some elaborate Fire Nation trap to learn all of their secrets and weaknesses!? They were in danger! Sokka grunted as a shock of pain ran down the back of his skull to his spine where it spread like wild fire down his nerve endings. 

"Dammit!" He cursed and took another step. He had to get to his sister!

"Whooa, take it easy there!" Came another voice, male this time.

Sokka looked up through eyes clouded in pain and almost laughed.

In front of him was a young man, maybe a little older than himself dressed to the toes in green spandex with arm bandages, a weird bowl cut, odd fish eyes, and the hugest, thickest eyebrows he'd ever seen.

"Who in blaze's 're YOU!?" Sokka choked out at the vision of green and youth in front of him.

"The name's Lee! And you shouldn't be moving like Sakura-san said. You could hurt yourself! Although, I admire the youthly spirit you have to continue your journey!" The young man, now named Lee, said accompanied by a thumbs up gesture.

"Youthly…spirit?" Sokka asked, curious to the sound of it.

"Yes! Youth is the wonder of life and the sparkle in one's eye!" Lee made a outrageous move, like that of his teacher who we'll meet later.

"Uh….huh. Well, I haven't a clue where I am, if you guys are Fire Nation, or if I'm even awake. So, could you move? You're blocking the door way where I'm going to fall and crawl up the hall." Sokka said fairly calmly for the situation he was in.

"I can't let you do that good sir, but I can tell you where we are! We're in the hospital of Konoha Village. You are most definitely awake and we are called the Fire Shadow Village. That or the village of the Dancing Leaves." Lee said with a more confused look crossing his face.

"The Fire Shadow? That's it. I have to get out of here. This place is probably crawling with Fire Benders and they've probably already discovered Aang! Lee! Can you tell me where my friends are? Are they alive? Where are they!?" Sokka shot rapid fire at the leaf nin.

"Whoa there! First, tell me your name and what exactly a 'Fire Bender' is as you put it. Is it a nin of some kind? A different type of rank where you come from?" Lee's face blossomed with the expression usually granted to him when he was learning. Which usually happened when he was listening to Gai-sensei.

"I'm not telling you my name because you're probably a Fire Bender and you're just trying to lure me into a state of complying with your demands!" Sokka spurned Lee's question.

"No, I'm honest! Youth is always honest and true!" Lee winked and grinned at the boy.

"Right and I'm a rat-monkey. Now let me out of here!" Sokka started to push past the green wonder, but was immediately stopped by the sight he saw across the hall.

"You wanna know what a Fire Bender is? THAT, is a Fire Bender!" Sokka pointed dramatically to the room across from his.

Inside, was the sleeping body of Zuko, the ex-Fire Nation Prince.

"Him? We found him starving to death in the Forest of Secrets where we found you! He's not one of the village. Actually, we were hoping you'd tell us who he was." Lee said with a look of confusion and curiosity.

"You don't know who he is? He's the Fire Nation Prince! That's a Fire Bender! His name's Zuko and he's evil!" Sokka spoke with hatred coating his tongue.

"Well, I'll have to take your word for that but I'm saying honestly here. We are not what you have called 'Fire Benders' so please relax and go sit back on your bed. You'll just injure yourself more!" Lee started to push Sokka to the white bed.

Sokka, feeling the muscles of the man bunch and curl beneath the strange spandex felt the power that he did not have so he acquiesced fairly easily. "Alright, but I want answers Lee, and I want them NOW." Sokka demanded as he arranged himself into the bed.

If they were indeed in the Fire Nation at this moment, he would already be dead or he would see signs like everything colored in red, god, or black.

"Agreed." Lee said happily and pulled up a chair from the medi-nin's desk to sit next to Sokka.

* * *

Iruka sniffed at his cup of tea and looked back to the man who had served it to him. He seemed nice enough and he didn't look like any sort of ninja he knew. Taking a sip of the brew, Iruka's face lit up happily and he took another gulp. 

"This is delicious!" he nodded happily to the older male.

Iroh nodded happily as the young man acknowledged his tea making talents. Sipping at his own cup he pondered the place he was in. Walking from the violence induced sleep, Iroh had immediately tensed, thinking he had been captured and taken back to the Fire Nation when this young fellow had walked in and explained calmly that it had all been a mistake to attack him. Iroh had pleasantly agreed to not take any offense at the precautions that the village had to take. So, to help pay back his kindness, Iruka had decided to give the older man a tour of the village in a momentary lapse of village policy.

Iroh, recognizing such crucial rules being broken had offered to make a pot of tea for Iruka to calm his nerves. Naturally, the worried school teacher declined, not wanting Iroh to exhaust himself since had just been attacked by very high level ninja.

"And to think I almost never would have had the pleasure of your company had I not been attacked!" Iroh laughed heartily as Iruka spluttered for words of apology.

"No, no, think nothing of it! I could have handled myself had they not been right on top of my nephew and I! I am quite capable of handling myself!" Iroh patted his thighs as if getting rid of some remnant dust.

"You said so, but the village is still extremely sorry. You have said you are something called a 'Fire Bender' but I've never heard the term before. What does that mean exactly?" Iruka abruptly switched to teacher mode. He wanted to learn and observe this man.

Even if his aura didn't leak the deathly taint of the higher class nin that Iruka had come to know, he did know that something behind this man wasn't entirely normal. The chakra patterns around him didn't fit anything like what he'd ever seen before. He was sure that even the medi-nin had no idea what they were dealing with.

Normal human beings had chakra patterns that were mostly instinctual and ninja had the chakra patterns as far as the chakra-less Lee to the huge capabilities of Naruto with the nine-tailed fox chakra. The man before him at a pattern of chakra that centered around his feet, his hands, and his mouth. It never moved much over that but at times he could see deep conserves of the chakra roiling around in the stomach and lung region. It really was a sight to see.

His 'nephew', the scarred one had the same chakra patterns only more was centered around the lungs instead of the belly. A lot was also boiling dangerously at the hands and feet but not so much the mouth. It seemed that this boy had different strengths than the older man but they were very similar none-the-less.

Iruka had actually been so taken by the man's patterns he'd gone and observed the rest of the stranger's chakra's while Iroh had been asleep. The bald child with the blue marking on his head was almost identical to Naruto. A huge chakra covering his entire body. Different colors swirling and colliding with each other as well. Although, the colors sometimes made huge appearances and seemed to take over most or all of his body. The main colors had been blue, green, red, and grey. The girl with longer hair had blue chakra that was almost completely centered around her hands. At moments, it would swirl in her heart space or travel to her feet but no where else. The smaller girl had completely green chakra that emitted completely from her feet with sparse tendrils that connected to her hands. She had also seemed to be blind and had naturally made a use of chakra sight through her feet. An odd way to live when you could do the same with your eyes but to each his own. The other boy with the mo-hawk like hair had no chakra like Lee. He had also seemed to have the same tenacity as Lee. Iruka had almost sighed as he realized this because it was just like they were going to have another green-beast in Konoha if this odd group decided to stay a while. They were more than welcome to due to the misunderstanding that had taken place.

"A Fire Bender is a person that can shape flame to their will. It is a talent that 95 of my people have. Only the very few are born with out this talent." Iruka guessed that this was the chakra state that he was describing. It seemed to be a larger percentage with the 'Fire Bender's to have chakra-less humans.

"I can use fire and shape it to my will. It will come to me whenever I wish it and it helps me. Protects me. Comforts me even! It helps with making tea!" Iroh let his finger sparkle to life with a small flame that heated his personal cup of tea easily. Iroh let the flame die out and Iruka stared with unabashed joy.

The chakra system in the older man's body had flexed very subtly showing that the chakra had been used to come up with the flame. The odd things was that the man had made no hand signs, no words were used, and no scrolls either. He just made it appear as if it were perfectly natural for him. In a way, the 'Fire Bender' was more advanced than the jutsu of the ninja.

"Can you control other things than fire?" Iruka pondered, suddenly realizing that it was a great power that could be used against people.

"No, just fire. Hence, the name 'Fire Bender'. There are Earth Benders, Water Benders, Air Benders, and Fire Benders. Four elements to balance the Earth." Iroh started on his speech.

Iruka nodded. It only made sense to be the four elements to balance out the chakra handlings so that something did not over come another. It was like one of the demons, Shukaku, or Kyuubi. An over dosage of chakra turned to something else. Although, it seemed that instead of becoming evil and making it's own entity it leeched off a young human much the same as Kyuubi did now.

"There is also one who can control all four elements. One called The Avatar. He or She can control all those elements along with a huge power that I have not yet realized what it is." Iroh continued. Iruka surmised that the bald child was the Avatar. The swirling of the different colored chakras made it very clear.

"I will not get into it now, for it is a greatly long story but the Fire Benders are at war with the rest of the world. That is why we have made it to this forest in the Earth Nation to take up refuge. This is where you have found us!" Iroh finished, smiling.

"Indeed, I have heard something about a great and hostile take over but it has not really affected the village of Konoha because we are a secret place. Somewhere that only the royals of the outside people would know about." Iruka explained.

"I had also heard of secret clans of people while I was heir to the Fire Lord but I long ago cast of those thoughts as if they were just suspicious rumors. My apologies." Iroh exclaimed, bowing slightly .

"It's nothing. It's just so surprising that this all actually exists. Much of what you're talking about makes no sense to me and I wish to know so much more. I have so much to tell you as well." Iruka smiled at the man and took another sip of tea.

"Indeed, I cannot wait." Iroh laughed agreeably.

* * *

Zuko groaned and tried to open his eyes but decided against it when his entire head throbbed. The pain seemed to emit from the bottom of his skull near his neck but he couldn't be quite sure seeing as how it was as if his entire sensory functioning was being scrambled. The lights were too bright, the sounds were too loud, the smell of clinic was making him sick, the touch of the rough bed sheets made him itch, the taste in his mouth was horrid, and so on and so forth. Zuko lay there with his eyes squeezed tightly shut and he tried to think. He couldn't remember how he had gotten to wherever he was but he could remember what had happened last. The scarred male could remember that he had heard something in the tries and so he had shot fire at it to try and attack any enemy that was trying to sneak up on them. 

Some thing or someone had squealed with surprise and a large shape had come tumbling from out of the tree. He had caught a quick glimpse of their face but all he could remember were two bright red swirls of color throughout the cheeks.

Then, everything had gone black and he woke with the steadily worsening headache. Zuko tried to open his eyes again but this time let them stream in agony as his enlarged pupils dilated to their normal size. Looking around without actually moving was difficult but Zuko managed to do it. He deduced that he was in some sort of care facility. The fact that he wasn't dead already or in a cell meant that they didn't know who he was or that they didn't care. It was probably the first but you never could really tell.

"Awake yet?" A soft voice called and Zuko winced as the sound grated on his ears.

"I see you are. Well, don't try to move. Not that you could if you wanted to, but none-the-less, it's probably better if you don't try." The name-less voice pointed out obviously.

Zuko closed his eyes in frustration. He couldn't even speak!

"My name's Shikamaru. I'm the one who attacked you, so….sorry about that." The male named Shikamaru apologized although it didn't seem very sincere.

Zuko blinked in surprise. Apologizing?

"Well, now that that's done." The voice stopped and listened to the quiet steps that seemed purposeful go to his bed side table.

The male leaned over and Zuko could see that it was a teenage near his own age. The other boy had a bored look on his face and an odd hairstyle that reminded him of some offhand fruit.

"Looks like you've seen your share of fights." Shikamaru said and raised an eyebrow in silent question at Zuko's scar. Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever dared ask him about his scar. It was an unwritten rule of sorts. He was really in some sort of strange land.

"Shikamaru! Are you scaring the patients already?" An older voice scorned softly.

"No Kakashi-sensei. Just having a nice chat." The other replied with a roll of his eyes. It seemed that he didn't like this person very much whoever they were.

"Mm-hmm." The voice replied and suddenly the fruit-head was gone. In his place was a gray haired man with most of his face covered. The one eye that was visible blinked out at him and then closed in a sort of smiling gesture.

"Good morning." He greeted and Zuko just stared.

Where in the spirit's name WAS he!?

* * *

Gaara sat at his desk brooding quietly as he always did when something in the air disturbed him. Whether it was an oncoming sandstorm, enemy nin approaching, or even Shukaku getting restless, Gaara knew every coming like he was born with the knowledge. This, although, this was different. 

Something stirred in the air that he had not yet tasted. A freshness that was altogether enticing and revolting. Something large and powerful had just made its way into the borders of Gaara's conscious world and it disturbed the Kazekage. Gaara let his fingers rest upon his jacket sleeves as an age old habit when he was thinking. Something was very near and very ready to strike out like a viper.

"Kazekage-sama?" A tentative voice called out through the door.

Gaara's chakra flickered in acknowledgment.

"We've just gotten word from the land to the north that they will be escorting persons to Konoha. They have requested to pass through here for shelter and necessities for the desert." The Suna-nin said as he opened the door and took a step inside.

"Their name?" Gaara asked for the name of the village.

"Unknown Sir. They sealed it with an odd gold marking like none I've ever seen." The other male said with confusion. He was used to every marking and seal another village could make but this new one from the north had him confused. It was gold plated but not so fancy as to make them normal royalty from the castles in the northern west.

"…" Gaara let his eyes slid shut in thought. A new predicament. He did not feel nor see the problem with this strange group asking for shelter. The more connections to people, the better to know the potential enemy or potential ally.

"They may come." Gaara said shortly and the Suna nin bowed on his way out to deliver a reply message.

Gaara stood and lifted the strap that was attached to his gourd with ease. Laying it gently onto his back, he began the trek to the outside world from deep underground where it was coolest. Today, he needed a walk in the storms of the unforgiving landscape.

* * *

Toph stood shakily. She couldn't see when her feet were high above the ground and so it was the perfect position for the enemy. A blind girl and taking away the only way she could see. 

"Hnnngh." She moaned quietly as her head twanged in response to her movements. She had been surprised when the normal rumblings of a forest had suddenly turned heavy with strange feet and surprise attacks. She'd had no time to react before she was brutally knocked unconscious by someone in the air.

Someone she could have no hope in seeing.

"Any one there?" She grumbled angrily and took a better position on the ceramic floor. She could now tell that she was in a small room that was connected to a large hallway, which split off into many different rooms.

"Hey! Someone answer me!" She yelled out starting to get even more worked up.

Toph pouted angrily and then twisted her head viciously to the side as a vibration made it's way up the hallway. Obviously male from the stride and angry by the sounds of the cursing she could already hear.

"Hey! Stop!" Toph yelled out to the door.

"Do not speak!" the voice commanded her angrily and stomped in.

"I'll do whatever I want!" she blurted back. Surprised, she didn't think many people were brave enough to talk back to her.

"Who are you? Are you another member of the Hyuuga clan? Your eyes! They are different but they are still that of the Hyuuga!" The voice demanded angrily and Toph rocked back on her heels with even more surprise. Someone being so tactless as attacking her blindness head on and not so much as stuttering at her 'weakness'.

"Hyuuga?! What the spirits is that?!" She demanded angrily. Toph had no idea what this stranger was talking about but he seemed pretty set upon that idea.

"Do not play games with me! I am Hyuuga Neiji!" The male said, and stomped closer and surprised Toph again by grabbing her chin and bringing her face up close to his judging by the hot breath that she could now feel.

"You…you are blind!" The male said suddenly sounding very surprised and worried.

"Yeah, you dumbass! That's what I said!" She retorted acridly.

"O-Oh dear…" A female voice softly stuttered in the door way.

Toph whipped her head over to the sound and scowled.

"More people to make fun of the blind girl?" She grumbled angrily and she felt the other two tense.

What a nice welcome to a new neighborhood.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

So, I hope you guys are enjoying my newest 'creation' as much as you guys enjoyed MIST! I was hoping to combine my Naruto fans and Avatar fans into a sort of CULT. ::Laughs:: Would anyone get super angry if I paired Toph and Neiji? They don't really have any one in their own shows…

* * *

_**Clashing Worlds**_

_Chapter Two  
_

* * *

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" The overly loud voice screeched into what _was_ a peaceful afternoon.

"Naruto, you're too loud. Shut up." The raven haired teen snarled at the other.

"Sasuke-bastard! Konoha has invaders!" The blonde jumped around wildly as if on fire.

Indeed, he had just talked to Iruka-sensei and was off to go see if it was true. He wanted to know for himself if there were really people from out of the village, who weren't even ninja, in the village.

"It's not that amazing stupid. It happened at the Chunnin exam. Remember?" Sasuke sighed. He was sick and tired of the other being so obnoxious when they had one afternoon off from all the missions that they seemed to keep being sent on.

"Well, yeah…but this is different! They have the weirdest ideas! They can do ninjutsu without the hands signs!" Naruto waved his own arms around to show his point.

"Hm?" This had definitely caught Sasuke's attention.

"Yeah! This old man with Iruka, he can blow fire like you but he doesn't do anything with his hands! He just does it!" Naruto was obviously excited, but you could tell by the way he was bouncing around and speaking in an overly quick manner.

"Well, show me then. Prove you're not lying." In Sasuke terms, it meant that he was interested and he was demanding that Naruto show him. Not that hard to figure out, but still a bit prickly for asking something that you want.

"Alright! I'll show you teme!" Naruto raced off, followed closely by Sasuke.

* * *

"So, I'm in Konoha," Sokka looked to Lee who nodded encouragingly, "I'm not in Firebender territory," Lee gave a smile that flashed bright white, "and I am in the company of ninja or 'nin'." Lee put up his thumb and happily proclaimed, "Correct!"

Sokka looked back to the black haired teen and wondered what kind of people nin where, but they must have been some strange folk due to this weirdo's clothing and attitude.

"I still don't know why any one in the Earth Kingdom or any of the other cities we've been in didn't know about this place!" Sokka said unhappily.

Sokka was an intellectual who had to know everything's scientific facts before accepting the reality of a situation. He liked to work something through before agreeing to its properties. Sokka liked to test people's limits so that he could know them for later. A very big reason as to why he acted so strangely at times. He was testing their limits and boundaries.

"Well….It's because the ninja have been trained to never been seen or heard. We are a secret!" Lee explained happily but shot up from his sitting position as the door opened. Bringing his hand to his forehead in a very crisp salute, he watched as Tsunade and Shizune walked in.

"Now, lets have a look at our first invader." The Hokage said with a smirk showing that she had no bad feelings about this situation.

"Hey!" Sokka let out a grunt of disagreement as Tsunade grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her.

She ignored his flailings and trying to get free as she secured her grip on him, which for Tsunade meant a lot of pain for those trying to wriggle free of her grasp.

"Ack!" Sokka fell limp as the overly strong woman peered into his eyes and her face settled into the observant Medical Nin that she was at heart. She opened his mouth and peered into the depths that most would be very happy to stay away from. She checked his teeth with a few pokes from a long metal instrument that looked faintly dangerous.

She closed his mouth and turned his head to the side examining his ears, his hair, and for any discolorations of the skin or any abnormalities. Finding the lad fit and ready to go, she let go of him with a smile.

"You still have a bump on your head and you'll be a bit dizzy. Otherwise, you're fine! If you want, Lee can take you on the tour now." Tsunade briskly left the room and Sokka stared after her.

"Who, in the BLAZES was that?!" he shrieked feeling fairly violated in a way that he didn't know he could feel.

"That was our esteemed Hokage. The Fifth, Tsunade-sama and her lovely assistant, Shizune-san." Lee answered with a Lee type of happiness.

"Hokage? You said that was the leader of your village right? The Hokage's a woman!? And…and…and she has huge! Well you know!" Sokka looked quite red as he tried to put into words his shock at seeing such a strong village lead by a very busty woman.

"Yes, Hokage-sama does have a very big presence, but she is very nice! She took care of me personally after a rather large battle a while ago!" Lee answered, filling in Sokka's blanks with a more **Youthly** response.

"But, but a woman!" Sokka couldn't quite escape the fact that she seemed to be stronger than him. He'd never met a woman that could out muscle him. Only out bend him and out smart him. He'd rather prided himself on his strength in body alone.

"Yes, a very smart and beautiful woman." Lee grinned at Sokka and then urged the other to stand. "Come on! Tsunade-sama said I could take you on the tour I was asking about earlier! You must see the rest of the village!" Lee almost bounced to the door in excitement, he was fairly certain he'd just made a wonderfully youthful new friend.

* * *

Zuko stared at the gray haired man and closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them again. Breathing in deeply, he noticed that the man was still there, only he was watching him this time. The intent stare was hard upon Zuko's face and the Firebender felt his pride well up as he realized this man was staring at him while he was injured and unable to defend himself properly. Getting angry at the thought, Zuko started to breathe in slowly and surely, gathering strength and fire in his lungs should he have to fight the other away in a moments instant.

"What are you doing?" the man named 'Kakashi' asked, tilting his head slightly as if he didn't understand.

Zuko stared at the other and then tried to sit up. His skull pounded with a headache worse than any before and he closed his eyes. Covering his eyelids with the palms of his hands, he scrubbed at his face trying to get used to the pain. Using a breathing meditation his Uncle had taught him, Zuko steadily began to adjust to the pain and use it to fuel his movement.

"I'm trying to sit up." Zuko growled out and looked up to the other with a glare.

"Well of course!" Kakashi sat back into a wooden chair that creaked with the sudden weight.

Zuko wasn't sure if he liked this man at all. His behavior was so off kilter to those he'd ever known before.

"Who are you?" Zuko asked, looking around himself. He saw nothing that looked familiar in any way, shape or form.

"I'm Kakashi. I am a teacher here in Konoha Village. Who are you?" Kakashi gave with a pleasant conversational tone of voice.

"Zuko." He gave a quick glance to see if Kakashi made any gesture that he recognized the name at all. Seeing no reaction, Zuko was fairly certain that he was now dreaming. Who didn't know of him?

"Ah, Zuko." Kakashi said pleasantly and then happily stared at the young man.

Zuko, quite put-off by this seemingly insane man began to wonder if he was dead and this was his own personal punishment for all the sins that he had committed. About to ask why Kakashi was staring so intently, he was interrupted by the door slamming open to reveal a busty blonde woman as well as a more meek black haired one. Zuko stared as the taller woman made her way to him. She scowled at Kakashi and then took a hold of his head.

Zuko, very startled by this, jerked in astonishment that she would touch him in such a manner. She twisted his head back and forth to look into his eyes, his ears, and his mouth. He felt her run her fingertips up the side of his scar and circle his eye with her fingertips.

"Odd, a fire scar that hasn't faded." She mumbled to herself and continued on with the violation of Zuko.

"Hey!" Zuko tried to protest but what rudely cut off as she shut his jaw rather forcefully with a finger and then lifted his chin to look at his neck. Seeing that there was no bruising or swelling, she smiled.

"I pronounce you healthy!" She said happily and stepped back to admire him.

"You really are a fine young man. Very well trained. Alright, Kakashi, I want you to find someone to keep an eye on him. I don't mean you either, I want someone you can rely on. I have to use you for a mission later. Report to me sometime this afternoon. Giving you a set time would be like trying to nail down water." Tsunade opened the door and left as briskly as she had come.

"Who in the spirits was that woman!?" Zuko demanded angrily, rubbing his jaw where, surprisingly enough, a bruise was forming due to the brute strength the woman had exuded.

"She is our Hokage. She is the leader of this village." Kakashi answered lazily and then stood. Stretching, he looked at Zuko. "Well come on, we've got to find a babysitter for you." Kakashi laughed at the look Zuko shot him.

"I need no one to look after me! Least of all, a bunch of barbarians, which this village seems to be made of!" Zuko felt his temper flare and that brought heat and smoke to his palms.

"Relax, the babysitter is there to make sure you really aren't spies. They aren't for you, they are like your jailors!" Kakashi smiled happily in the way only Kakashi can.

"What?!"

* * *

Gaara closed his eyes as if he were asleep. He was still mildly disturbed by the unknown village passing through his lands. They were due to arrive in Suna at nightfall. Gaara breathed out in a low sigh. He was imagining all his worries and stress's were being let go with the air that was being released out of his lungs. It was a type of meditation he used to practice as a child. It helped him attain a state of mind that wasn't sleeping, but more of a slow awakening.

"Gaara?" the hardened voice of his sister asked, demanding his attention.

"Did you hear what I said? All contact with the Iron Country has been lost. Their letters talk of a strange illness and darkness that bleed into their lands and then suddenly, nothing. Do you want us to investigate? There might be an epidemic…" Temari threw down said letters in irritation.

"No. If it is and epidemic, I do not want it to spread here." Gaara said softly and did not open his eyes. He was still thinking as to the situation that would arise tonight.

"Kankuro, where are the strange travelers going?" Gaara demanded of his brother.

"Konoha. Or, that's what is seems since their on a straight path towards there. They haven't given us anything to go off of as of yet." Kankuro was sitting with his feet on the table, and he was picking his teeth with a piece of wood.

"…" Gaara opened his eyes and squinted in the dying sunlight. He'd made his decision.

"I am going to take a party out to go along with these people. I want to know what they want and why they are here. I will have them volunteering information before long." Temari almost winced at the implied violence, but she knew it was necessary since these strange people might be enemies.

"Alright, who's in charge while you're gone Kazekage-sama?" Kankuro asked, looking faintly more interested that his stone cold brother would personally take care of something instead of just ordering him or Temari to do it for him. It wasn't like he was arrogant, he was just busy with the rest of Suna.

"I want Temari to remain in my stead. Kankuro, you are coming with me. We will be taking a team you pick out." Gaara stared at Kankuro.

"Got it, got it. I'll go pick up some people then." Kankuro stood, and cracked his spine as he stood.

"Where do you want us to meet you?" Kankuro shook his head back and forth, cracking the vertebrae as he did so.

" Outside of Suna. You'll find me." Gaara said and stood as well.

"See ya Gaara. Have fun." Temari called sarcastically as her brother opened the door and left behind her other brother.

"…" Gaara didn't reply, but kept forward.

"It was a joke." Temari groused and turned back to the paper work mess that Gaara had left for her.

* * *

Gaara stood in the setting sun with his infamous gourd strapped to his back with the worn and used leather. He had his arms crossed over his traveling garb which was immensely different than his Kazekage clothing. It was a combination of protective, thick canvas like material to defend the body inside against the wind and sand. It also had a gaping red shirt that was on top of black jutsu heating and cooling mesh that looked strangely like fishnet.

Gaara was practical, not stupid.

He would never admit to even thinking it, but he looked down upon the teenage nin for wearing the clothes that made their bodies look good but do nothing to protect them from the harsh desert environment. He didn't think they needed to be bothered with until they could find out for themselves that it was a death wish to walk into the desert at any time with important parts of their bodies showing like their stomachs.

"Gaara." Kankuro stated as he appeared at his brother's side in a flash of chakra smoke. He looked back to the painted male and looked farther to look at who he'd brought.

"I've tacked on three people to this party. I didn't want more than would be noticed. I don't want to start any kind of power play, you know?" Kankuro started with the introductions before his brother could reply. It wasn't like he planned to in the first place though.

"First, I brought Ashton. She's a very capable spy because of her social skills with unfamiliar situations and the ability to blend in with her families special jutsus." Gaara nodded in approval. Ashton also followed orders and he wouldn't have to worry about her trying to be a hero in the desert. People got killed doing just that.

"Second, I have Marr. He's a specialist in planting traps and devices. He also is good body guard, considering his size." Gaara noted that Marr was a larger than average man; tall, wide shoulders, and a more heavyset frame than the light-as-sticks ninja types. He was the person that people used as the base of their formation because he could keep going no matter what happened. Gaara approved of his brother's choice again.

"And third, we have Sarren. She is a berserker." Kankuro left it at that. A lot of the village knew the berserker family of Suna. They were used as fodder for wars until they realized the true potential of the blood line. They were a farming family who spent too much time underground with the fumes from the desert pervading their senses and bodies. After a while, it just made them crazy. The entire family was like this because the entire family worked for the farms under the sand. It was hard work, but very well spent. The berserkers had explosive tempers, though not hardly compared to Gaara's sudden and far between outbursts, but the family was considered as lethal as a sandstorm in itself. Fast to anger and fast to fight. Gaara was unsure about this one, but he trusted his brother's choice, even if he didn't say so.

"…Lets go then. We'll meet them as they come by. It seems they do not plan on stopping by Suna." Gaara told the others.

Flitting out of sight, the party was now on their way. It was the beginning of a change that many would remember for a long, long time.

* * *

"I….I'm so sorry, I didn't m-mean to…" Hinata stuttered badly in the face of Toph's rage. It was noticeably shaking Hinata that her cousin could be so rude on first meeting. She hadn't meant to interrupt their talk, but it had sounded like it would escalate to violence if she hadn't stepped in.

"I wanted to apologize for my cousin's rudeness. We did not know." Hinata bowed deeply, knowing the other could not see her, but being respectful all the same.

Toph glared somewhere off to the right of Hinata and let out a disgruntled noise. "Tch, I don't care. Just more rude barbarians making fun of people." Toph glared angrily in the direction of the male who had dared to touch her.

"Don't come any closer! I swear, if you don't back up this moment, I will bring this entire place down on your head!" Toph hissed out between gritted teeth as Neiji made a move to examine the other again.

"Oh really? How are you planning to go and do that?" Neiji smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. What could a girl of this small petite nature do to possibly try and bring down a Konoha building. Built to last and last through even demon attacks.

Toph growled angrily, almost like a wild animal and lifted her arms. With a quick jerk of her hands and a twitch of her feet she forced a good section of the ceiling to crack and fall where Neiji had been only mere seconds before.

"I'm warning, I am so totally NOT in the mood for this right now!" Toph glared at Neiji as his vibrations paused behind his cousin, Hinata.

"How did you do that? No hand signs, no jutsus," Neiji looked on at the girl in disbelief. "What are you?" Neiji felt his anger and hate drain away to pure fascination. It was just like him to immediately turn to something he could learn and absorb from others to make himself stronger. This small package of what seemed like a weak blind girl was really a fire cracker, just waiting to take off.

* * *

Katara stared at the ceiling as she tried to ignore the man in white standing next to her. He'd roughly told her to lay absolutely still until he was done. Nothing was hurting her, so she obeyed his command, seeing as she couldn't move anyway. He seemed to be emitting healing water like her own only it was more like air. It was more like mist was shaped around his hand healing her chest and neck.

"Uhm… Can I come in yet?" A familiar voice asked softly.

Katara smiled from her position as Aang could be heard whining not very far away.

"But why? She's awake now isn't she?" His voice rose and lowered with a normal rolling pitch.

Katara closed her eyes and could feel the warmth of the healing taking place in her body but this helped her concentrate on who was talking to Aang.

"Not yet. She's being healed and if the medi-nin is distracted, she could have something bad happen to her." A soft voice chided gently. It sounded almost like her when she was teaching Aang about some form of politeness or necessity for human behavior.

"Alright…" Aang gave in and Katara could hear him collapse in a heap in the normal way that he used. It was a small part of Aang that Katara found faintly amusing. It went with his silly tricks with his Airbending and the odd jokes he used to try and make her laugh on a bad day. It was just another thing about Aang that she found endearing.

* * *

"Wh-…What IS it?" Chouji asked himself as he looked at the huge beast. It was easily as big as a small house and as wide as one as well. It currently was staring back at him just as intently as he was staring at it.

"You're huge!" Chouji said with an almost childlike glee. It was an animal of some sort, he could tell for certain. But it had six legs! It resembled a bison but at the same time, was completely different! The bison seemed to be eating the grass in his and Shikamaru's field. Chouji crunched on a chip and stared in rapt attention at the huge animal.

The bison suddenly leaned down and sniffed at Chouji. Laughing at the huge gusts of wind that was buffeting his hair, Chouji held out a small handful of chips.

"Want some?" He asked, and when the animal let its huge rough tongue catch the tiny morsels he laughed again. "You like that huh? So do I!" Chouji sat on the ground and took another chip into his mouth. He tilted his head and watched as the bison did the same. It sat and then lay on the ground in front of him with ground shaking thumps. As the bison settled its girth on the grass and seemed to yawn, he was suddenly surprised to feel something climbing him.

"Hey!" Chouji complained as a small and furry face appeared next to his own. A monkey of some kind was resting on his shoulder. Chittering happily, the large eared animal took a handful of chips for itself and stuffed them into its mouth.

"I guess you like them too…" Chouji let out a sad sigh. He was going to have to share so much food to feed both of his new friends. It really was worth it when no one else but Shikamaru seemed to talk to him.

"I wonder what your name's are?" Chouji asked himself and bit into another chip. The animal on his shoulder wrapped its long tail around his neck and then proceeded to crawl into his lap to chitter excitedly as it played happily with the almost empty plastic bag. Chouji automatically squeezed another one open with a small 'pop' and carried on to dig into the newest bag.

"I guess you belong to the new people." Chouji had heard a rumor that a bunch of strangers were found on the edge of the Konoha Forest. He hadn't believed it until right now, seeing as how these animals wouldn't have gotten here in the first place if they hadn't been brought by people from somewhere else.

"Well, you can stay with me, until we find your friends." Chouji grinned good naturedly and settled in to watch the clouds roam the sky with his two new friends.

* * *

"Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sensei!" A loud and slightly obnoxious voice yelled out over the crowd.

"Naruto?" The scarred teacher answered in confusion as he heard his late pupil's voice.

"Over here!" Naruto could be seen waving frantically at his old teacher with a large fox grin covering his face.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Iruka asked happily. He didn't get to see Naruto that much anyways, so it was always a pleasant surprise when he did get to meet the much too happy boy.

"I wanted to show Teme here that I was telling the truth!" Naruto laughed as his teacher sighed. He was sure that Naruto was going to drive the pale and dark haired teen away with all his talking and bluffing but it hadn't happened yet. He was almost sure that they would either kill each other one day, or they would somehow get along and then the world would end. He was rather hoping for the latter since Iruka had a soft spot for both of his late pupils.

"Oi, Dobe. You haven't shown me anything yet." Sasuke spoke softly and crossed his arms over his chest. He was rather skeptical of the idea of anyone being able to produce fire without the necessary hand signs or charms.

"Yeah yeah, hold on a minute!" Naruto complained as the other huffed in annoyance.

If he was going to be dragged all the way out here, it better have been for a good reason. If this was another of Naruto's stupid tricks or another attempt at his blasted humour, he was going to leave and figure out some way to make the other's life more miserable than he had already been making it.

Maybe he would flaunt that Sakura wanted him and not Naruto. Then again, that didn't work the last time strangely enough, so Sasuke would have to ponder this one.

"Well Sasuke. I'm afraid Naruto is telling the truth this time. It's rare and certainly fascinating, but this man can produce fire without the signs or jutsu cards. It's an ability that he says belongs to an entire country of people. He actually wanted to talk to you about your heritage. I told him you are especially good with your Fire Ball Jutsu and he sounded quite interested." Iruka didn't tell Sasuke that the older man, Iroh, also had inquired about teaching the young teen. Iruka didn't know if Sasuke was up to such a strange and new idea of people from the outside world who weren't used to their ways being in direct contact with him for long periods of time.

"Che, we'll see." Sasuke glared at his older teacher.

"Yes, we will." Iruka sighed. This was the makings of a very long day.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Yeah, yeah, I don't give a rat's arse if Zuko kissed that ho-bag. SO BUGGER OFF ALL OF YEH. ::spits in slut-face's direction:: Also, I don't care if this has TOTALLY started to spin off from correct times and stuff but hopefully ya'll be able to follow it. Sorry for the wait, I've been doing things like living, and moving, and even a little bit of learning.

* * *

_**Clashing Worlds**  
Chapter Three_

* * *

Gaara slowed his run to a walk as he crested the hill of sand. He could see the group of shinobi and their companions in the small valley that ran through the Eastern part of Suna. He stopped for a moment and looked over them. Most had the bottom half of their face's covered with a simple and loose black cloth. He surmised that it was because they didn't want to take the risk of inhaling any upturned sand that might catch the wind. 

Kankuro was suddenly behind him and looked over the small group that was making their way through the valley. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders at the sight. Some people just didn't know how to travel in the desert. You were supposed to travel along the ridges of the valleys, not through them. If you happened to go through a wide valley on the wrong day, you and the rest of your group could be blown away by a powerful sand storm or even attacked by the rogue's who lived on the open sand.

"I guess we should go help them first. Maybe they'll be a little friendlier if we give them some advice." Kankuro mused out loud to himself and his brother to get his reaction.

"Hm…" Gaara made a non-committal noise and nodded his head.

"Alright, of I go." Kankuro made a show of pulling on his heavy canvas jacket and strapping his goggles to his forehead.

He wasn't in the habit of wearing his black uniform and the makeup of a puppet master while in his home land, but he felt that it probably would have been a good idea since he still had said puppet strapped to his back. Thinking, he suddenly chuckled. It seemed his family had a real big thing for strapping their weapons, which were huge already, to their backs. Temari had her fan, Gaara had his gourd, and Kankuro had his puppets.

"Sarren! Marr! You're coming with me. Ashton, please stay with Kazekage-sama." Kankuro ordered the ANBU who were silently standing about, observing the caravan as well.

"Sir," Sarren acknowledged the command and jumped to obey as well as Marr who stayed silent.

"I will be down in a moment. I wish to observe a little longer." Gaara was the type to never make a hasty decision and Ashton realized this as she waited for her Kazekage. He was the demon of the village as well as its savior and so she respected his wishes to stay separate for the time being.

"…" Ashton let her eyes drift over the valley, imitating her Kazekage. It was odd, but she didn't feel the fear of him that she usually did whenever he had been around her quarters, either checking the way of things, or just walking by. Usually, he caused a fair amount of fear to rise in all the villagers and they would herd like cows and start to spray around nasty comments and vulgar rumors. Ashton herself never partook in these disgusting little habits but that didn't keep them from her ears.

"There." Gaara suddenly spoke, startling Ashton from her reverie of Gaara.

"What?" She asked, suddenly feeling stupid that she hadn't been paying closer attention.

"They are hiding something in that caravan." Gaara nodded his head towards the group and Ashton squinted to try and see what the other was pointing out to her. The female looked on, towards the caravan but didn't see anything.

"uhm…I don't-" she started but was interrupted as Gaara shrugged his gourd on a little higher onto his shoulder.

"…" Ashton stopped her self and readied herself to move with the Kazekage. It was obvious that it didn't matter if she didn't see or not at the moment. The Kazekage would know if it was dangerous or not. He would not take one of his subordinates into a combat he wasn't already confident of. Trusting her leader, Ashton jumped with Gaara as they made their way down to the camp where Kankuro had already started towards.

* * *

"Yo!" Kankuro state loudly, clear enough for the caravan to hear. 

Turning quickly, and loosening their kunai pouches, the group faced what they would think to be a threat.

"No worries! I'm Kankuro, one of your escorts through the desert." Kankuro soothed the frayed nerves of the already faltering group. The sand and wind had taken a heavy toll on them, but they were also running low on water and food. Rationing it had started to become a very harrowing experience.

"Who are the others?" Asked an older man, stepping forward from the rest. He looked to be the leader of the small group. It was interesting that an older man was the group leader, seeing as the young and the healthy usually were sent out instead. They were more durable than the elderly but this seemed to be a time of confusion and ruin, seeing as the land was turning black and sickness started to shroud people's eyes.

"My brother, the Kazekage, will be down in a moment with a guard. I already said I was Kankuro, and the rest can introduce themselves to you later. It's not important right now, but we need to start looking for a way out of this sand bowl. You're not in the greatest of positions to be traveling. You could be attacked very easily." Kankuro made a motion with one hand, signaling them to hurry.

"We know. We've already been ambushed by a group of vagabonds." The man sputtered angrily. He looked to the ground as Kankuro started to shout out commands. His team immediately spread to start helping the orders travel that much faster.

"Oh? Well, now you'll have the protection of a Kage and they shouldn't bother you any longer. In fact, here comes Gaara now." Kankuro gestured to the red head as he appeared from the dusty setting.

"Thank you for aiding us." The man bowed formally before the other. Showing his gratitude and his acceptance of the other's power and authority over him.

"Hm." Gaara acknowledged the greeting and looked over the process of moving.

The Kazekage overlooked the process of shifting and movie while his brother told his nin the plain of action. Kankuro was an adequate leader and it pleased him that his brother could be of use. It would be an embarrassment if the other was incompetent at leading while he was Kazekage.

"I've already got them on the move Gaara. We'll be out of his hell hole in a bit. Then we should find shelter, neh?" Kankuro asked with a tilt of the head.

"No. We shall keep moving." Gaara said quietly.

Kankuro scowled slightly, but he showed his acceptance by yelling out the command to pack everything a little tighter. They weren't stopping for the night. Some of the sand dusted group groaned unhappily but the Suna Nin urged them onward. They understood the weariness that their charges were facing but they didn't want to be held up by such inexperienced nin.

"Gaara, I'm going to go have my team start assigning watches so that some of the caravan can rest while we travel. They're already dead on their feet."

"…" Gaara gave a slight nod of the head and Kankuro fazed out of sight.

* * *

Sokka looked around the street in a daze. He had not seen such culture and spark in a long long time, if ever. He could see that some of the signs were written in a different language and a lot of the people looked strange. They didn't wear the same colours as a normal Earth village would wear, but they all looked like normal people. From what Sokka had come to know about this village through Lee was that all these people were special operatives of sorts. Some people had abilities that could make them fantastically dangerous, and others used their powers to do every day chores and business it seemed. 

Jerking, he looked back to suddenly see a puff of smoke and small house cat appeared next to an old lady that had her hands crossed. The gray haired female spoke rapidly to the cat who had a scarf tied around its neck and then the cat nodded like it understood.

"Off you go!" The cat scampered out of sight and the old lady began to sweep once more. Sokka had already started getting used to the strange assortment of animals but how they appeared out of thin air was just fantastic.

"Hey, how did that lady-" Sokka started to stop and ask how the old woman had done this when Lee shook his head.

"That's for later! Come on! We don't want to be late!" Lee tugged on his sleeve and started walking a little faster.

"This way! We're going to the memorial for the fourth Hokage to meet the people that will house you during your stay here! Then we'll tour the city! Maybe even have lunch!" Lee was the most optimistic person that Sokka had ever met and it was a little grating at times.

"Ah….yeah." Sokka replied half listening, he was still watching the people around him. They seemed to be staring right back though, even if they didn't know who they were staring at. If they had known he was from a different village, they would probably be a little more worried, but this seemed to be just faint curiosity from the clothing that he wore.

"We're almost there! Come on! Come on!" Lee pointed towards a small grassy area ahead of them.

"Alright, alright." Sokka hung his head. This guy was way to happy.

"Sokka!" Sokka heard a familiar voice yell out happily.

"Aang? Where've you been?" Sokka looked down in a surprised way to see the Avatar grinning up at him.

"I've been around and about. Mostly with Katara though. Did you hear? They're going to let us stay here for as long as we want without pay! Isn't it great?!" Aang cheered happily and ran off towards the grassy area ahead of them.

"Ah, yeah…sure." Sokka squinted as a figure came into view. They looked slightly familiar and, -

"YOU!!" Sokka pointed dramatically at the person who was leaning against one of the stone tablets.

"….so you did survive. I was hoping you wouldn't be around since I just finished getting over my last head ache." The exiled fire Prince snipped at Sokka.

"Hey! Shut up! Just because we have to live together in the same village does NOT mean that I have to get along with you! You're still a Fire Bender!" Sokka yelled angrily.

Zuko sighed and looked away. He didn't want to have to deal with half-wit morons right now, since he was still uneasy with the circumstances he'd been put in. Leaning over towards the man that appeared behind him, Zuko glared noticeably.

"Where is my Uncle? He is still here, yes?" Zuko demanded of Kakashi.

"Yes yes, he's with Iruka-sensei at the moment. They are talking of many things." The older teacher nodded and smiled easily.

"Hm," Zuko looked away with a faint pout on his face. He didn't worry about his Uncle, he was just concerned with what the old man was telling people that might very well be their enemies for all they knew about them.

Sokka stared at the grey-haired man. He looked like should be an older gentleman but he spoke with the voice of someone much younger. Was it possible that he had his hair dyed some weird colour like some of the other inhabitants of this village? He'd seen one doctor with bright pink hair, another person with teal hair and so on and so forth. It was unheard of to change your natural hue in the South Pole because one, they didn't have the ingredients to do so, two, it was almost like you were telling your parents that there genes weren't good enough for you, or even three, you were just begging for attention and were still a child yourself.

"So you are the newcomers?" A low voice questioned without much emotion.

"Yes Sasuke-kun! These people are them!" Lee answered amiably and pointed towards the small group.

"….Hn," The dark young man looked over them. He felt his chakra flare a little at the glance of the black haired youth with the scar. He seemed to emit the same patterns as he did. They also seemed to be alike in expressions as well.

Sasuke let out a small smirk as he turned away from the group and headed to a stone for himself to lean against. Knowing the chances that everyone was going to be late at getting here, he might as well claim a leaning post sooner rather than later. He didn't want to sit on the ground like a child.

"Who're you then?" Sokka asked rudely, standing up in Sasuke's face.

"I am Sasuke of the Uchiha clan." The darker teen said with a look of disdain and unappreciation for the situation at hand. He wanted to get to the rock.

"Hmph, Sasuke? Doesn't sound frightening at all." Sokka snorted his mock laughter. The sound of the fake laughter caused Sasuke to shoot a sharp glare in Sokka's direction.

This teen reminded him something fierce of Naruto and that in itself was always bad. The mocking laughter, the huge ego and even something about the way he just barged into other people's space with loud and crude comments. They all screamed 'Naruto' at him but something was uniquely different. They looked completely different and Sokka was lengthier than the stocky and short Naruto.

"Heh! I like this guy!" Naruto said with a fox grin and wrapped his arm around the Water Tribe's man's shoulders in a rough but friendly sort of way.

"Who're you then?" Sokka asked, looking faintly disturbed that this seemingly colour blind freak had attached himself to him. His clothing was horrendously ugly. Really, who over the age of five dressed themselves in orange and blue? He must be really stupid or really brave to walk out of the door in that outfit.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Konoha's Next Hokage!" Naruto proclaimed proudly. Sokka stared at the other. Wasn't the word 'Hokage' synonymous with 'leader' here? HE wanted to be a LEADER? Sokka snorted loudly as Zuko held back a laugh of disdain.

"He's rather annoying isn't he." Zuko stated to himself mostly with a raise of the only brow that he had.

"Agreed." Sasuke answered back unexpectedly. The other dark haired teen had hit the nail on the head. He rather liked this new person and found himself thinking that he could actually deal with him. Rather surprising, as Sasuke liked to stay by himself on principle.

Zuko turned to stare up and down the other black haired teen. Sasuke responded with a half lidded stare that made the other feel as if he were also being measured up. They both were of a more alpha position, forced into the world to early and made to be strong. Unknowingly, they were both very similar in the fact that a sibling was much stronger then them and considered a legend while they had to work up to the name. They both were outcasts of a sort and they both had scars, whether they be internal or external. A strange coincidence.

"Zuko," Zuko said simply with a nod of the head to introduce himself.

"Hn," Sasuke responded and then looked away towards the trees. It was clear that both of them wanted to get this over with as quickly as they could. It was like having a Band-Aid and peering at it, while slowly peeling it back instead of just ripping it off. The situation was just going on and on.

"Hey guys!" Sokka and Aang turned quickly, the later bursting out in a grin.

"Katara! You're feeling better?" The youngest of the group bounced over to the other who laughed.

"Yes Aang, I'll be fine now. Miss Sakura here healed me very well." The pink headed girl waved as she was introduced.

Sokka raised both of his brows at the sight of the thin and cute teen girl. She was the one with pink hair! She was the perfect girl if Sokka was interested at the moment. Currently, he was more worried about the situation of being in a huge city that shouldn't exist. But that didn't keep him from appreciating.

"Thank you!" Aang bowed and Sokka nodded to her.

"It was no problem! It's my job!" Sakura giggled in what would be a bashful way.

"Well, I'd love to learn more about how you heal. I can also do a little with my water but not very much." Katara turned to the teal eyed girl.

"You can heal with water?" Sakura looked interested. Aang, sensing a long and probably boring conversation coming, he turned away quickly. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in what Katara was seemingly entranced with, he just didn't want to be experimented upon. It had happened once before while they'd been traveling, and Katara had gotten and idea for healing bruises. In the end, she'd just made his bigger.

The entire group was just standing around doing a whole lot of nothing when Iruka phased into the area. Kakashi instantly stood a little straighter and emitted sort of a happy 'neh' sound that translated to pleasure.

"Ah, Sensei. News?" Kakashi asked in a nonchalant way.

"Hokage-sama wishes us to divide them up now and place them with their guardians. I was sent to tell you." Iruka nodded to the grey haired man.

"Alright, I'll start it up." Kakashi clapped loudly.

"Listen up!!" He called loudly, smiling as the group of teens and one preteen all stared over to him.

"So, who will be staying with who for the duration of their stays?" Kakashi looked expectantly to Iruka.

The sensei sighed morosely and stepped in front of the other. "Honestly Kakashi, you'd think you would pay attention sometimes when Hokage-sama was speaking." Iruka shook his head and Kakashi let out a mock sigh.

"Alright, Zuko, you will be staying with Sasuke. I'm sure you guys could teach each other a lot. Sokka, you will be staying with Naruto because you two seem to be very similar it seems. Something about not listening or respecting elders." Kakashi gave an icy glare to his late pupil.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and scowled. Looking away, he tried not to catch Iruka's eye, knowing it would make him feel guilty.

"Katara, you will be staying with Sakura, again for educational purposes. Aang, you'll be with Lee, you are both full of energy as the healers and such have seen Aang." Another glare pointed towards the bald youth.

"Heh," Aang smiled innocently.

"Hmph, and that should be it." Iruka turned to speak with Kakashi again when Aang suddenly stood with a shout.

"Wait! What about Appa and Momo?" He asked frantically. He couldn't leave them out in the cold and dark.

"They are being taken care of by the young man named Chouji. He found your large beast of sorts and he wanted to feed it. The small creature followed them. They live on the edge of the village to the north-east if you wish to see your animal friends." Iruka sighed as he explained to the worried Avatar.

"Oh, Thanks! I'll have to go thank this 'Chouji' then too!" Aang grinned up at Iruka.

"Right, well I'll leave everyone to their new house mates. Kakashi, I would like to speak with you later about the pattern of chakra within my new guest." Iruka knew that Kakashi was a copy-nin and so he understood a lot about chakra's and their control. If he didn't, he would be able to see if he could copy Iroh if Iroh was indeed using a technique at all.

"Should I bring anything? Refreshments?" Kakashi teased the other sensei.

"No!" the teacher blushed bright red at the implication that he had asked Kakashi over as a date almost. "It's strictly for learning!" Iruka scowled slightly at the still probably smiling Copy-Nin.

"Keep denying it, but you'll only crave me more." Kakashi sighed, and shock his head, implying that Iruka didn't know what he was missing.

"Indeed," Iruka gave a shake of his head and phased out of sight. He had to report to the Hokage that the group had been told of the circumstances.

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama?" a voice called out in question. 

"What is it Kabuto?" someone answered in a slithering hiss.

"The strangers are no more than children. They prove no threat whatsoever." The one called Kabuto replied.

"So you say, but who are usually the most dangerous now-a-days? Hn?" the man called Orochimaru ground out almost angrily.

"The younger nin, but these children show almost no knowledge at the use of chakra. Oddly enough, they do have a different sort of chakra flowing through their bodies. They seem to pertain to elemental jutsu's strictly. One of the children doesn't even have chakra like the boy Lee." Kabuto reported with a raised brow.

"I see. We will keep an eye on them. For now, we must keep most of our strength focused on obtaining information about the spreading blackness. It is not my own doing and so it is a threat. What have you found out so far?"

"We recently discovered that nin are trying to escape their homelands if it is being eaten by the darkness. A few caravans have made it out alive but other than that, we can't see into it. It's like all knowledge and power is cut off once the city has been swallowed. We've had rumours, but nothing more."

"What rumours then?" came the hissing reply.

"We have heard rumours from the Falcon Clan, our lead spies in that area, that something is moving in the night. At night is the blackest time when everything becomes the least visible and it's even worse where the Blackness is. They say that they can hear something huge moving and breathing even from the distance that they are at. They don't stay to look for it because it fills the stupid birds with some sort of dread. They are spineless." Kabuto spat his anger at the spooked nin. He didn't take kindly to cowards.

"Now now Kabuto, we must be pleased that they stayed to even do that for us. Would you rather go out there alone with no knowledge on what we fight? I think not. It pleases me that they would go so far as to go against their own beliefs to please me. What of the Bear Clan? They are less 'spineless' as you say?"

"The stupid Bears are nothing if not wearisome. All they request is money and food for the least amount of work. They haven't even traveled half as far as the Falcons and they say that it is to tiresome for them to move much in the day. I dislike them even more than the Falcons."

Orochimaru hissed his displeasure at the words of his servant. He didn't like it when the people he hired disobeyed his command and so usually, he slautered them in payment. Sadly enough, The Bear Clan was tightly tied into the Mist village. They would come after him and he didn't want to deal with pitifull attempts on his life at the moment.

"Get rid of them. Do not kill them but reward the Falcons. We still have use for their abilities and I don't want to loose that. Also, have you gotten no word from that new family that we heard of? What of them?" Orochimaru inquired lethargically. He wished that he could do this himself but that would cause a chaos that he didn't have time for at the moment and so he had to play the strings from the shadows.

"No. They lived in one of the first villages that was taken according to my knowledge. I have still sent out a few sentiniels to gather knowledge but it has been useless so far." Kabuto gave a short bow to show his apology.

"I see. Good work, now leave me Kabuto." Orochimaru dismissed his pale haired servant. He would need time to think for his next move. It was distressing that the Bear Clan could no longer help him but it was needed to cut away the dead weight that wouldn't add him. He could have used their strength and numbers but the Falcons almost made up for that with their connections to other old families with unique skills.

"It is as it should be." Orochimaru hissed to himself with a glaring of his golden eyes. He would soon take what was rightfully his as well as what he wanted. It was what fate had in store for him and what he knew was right in the world. Nothing would keep him from his goal, not even the God's who wished it.

* * *

Later in the evening, something large gave a snorting but massive sigh. The behmouth felt its sleep disrupted and it pawed at the ground, felling trees and boulders as huge as ten men. Not noticing the commotion of it's restling, the creature gave a yawning groan as loud as a thunder bolt cracking down amongst the conductive water. It disliked being disturbed and the aura that stank of fear and hate had disturbed it once more. 

One eye cracking open, the monstrously huge being looked about lazily. The rotting stench of corpses gave it comfort and the putrid look of decay around it made the beast almost purr in pleasure. Soon this pitifull world would its and nothing would stand in its way. Letting the huge eye fall shut once more, the creature slept until the falling of night. When its true reign could begin and it could feed once more. Only then would it start to eat its way into the world again like it'd been doing the last few months. Slowly but surely it went but none-the-less unstopped.

* * *


End file.
